New Edsall Road Fire Station planned

An illustration showing what the new Edsall Road Fire Station could look like.

Construction of a new, larger Edsall Road Fire Station will start in fall 2019, and the building is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by winter 2021. Meanwhile, the fire station will be housed in temporary quarters in spring 2019, so there will be no interruption of service.

The fire station, at 5316 Carolina Place in Springfield, was heavily damaged last May when a fire truck caught fire. One of the station’s three bays is still unusable.

A fire truck destroyed by fire at the Edsall Road Fire Station in 2017. [FCFRD]

The temporary fire station will be across the street from the existing building, on land leased from Vulcan Materials. The temporary building will be similar to the one currently housing the Jefferson Fire Station on South Street, while a new building is constructed.

None of the officials at a March 19 community meeting on the Edsall Road project – from the Department of Planning and Zoning, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, and the Fire and Rescue Department – were aware that Vulcan is seeking county approval for an expansion of its operations to include a new asphalt plant.

Several community members who oppose an asphalt plant raised concerns at the meeting about air pollution. A petition drive against the plan is under way.

The new permanent Edsall Road Fire Station will have four bays and will be 14,500 square feet, compared to 8,300 square foot in the existing building.

It will also have living space for female personnel, says Assistant Chief John Caussin, which wasn’t considered in 1974 when the station was built.

The Edsall Road Fire Station has a “heavy rescue squad,” which responds to vehicle accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials, Caussin says. That unit is especially important because of the station’s location near Interstate 395 and the beltway.

Because it’s a county facility, the project will go through a “2232 review process” to determine whether it conforms with the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission will schedule a public hearing, then will decide whether to approve it.

A public safety bond passed by voters in 2015 included $10 million to expand the Edsall Road Fire Station. After the fire, the Board of Supervisors approved another $2 million to cover the cost of replacing the building.